Europe have opened up the first two-point lead of the 2026 Solheim Cup after winning Saturday morning’s foursomes 3–1 – and the two captains have taken markedly different approaches to the afternoon as Anna Nordqvist keeps faith with several of her combinations and Angela Stanford reshuffles the USA.
For the first time this week, there is daylight between Europe and the USA.
Anna Nordqvist’s side turned an overnight 4–4 score into a 7–5 advantage with an impressive Saturday morning foursomes performance that included the first Solheim Cup defeat for Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz as a partnership and another victory for Europe’s increasingly impressive rookie combination of Mimi Rhodes and Nastasia Nadaud.
Leona Maguire and Esther Henseleit added Europe’s third point after another tight encounter, while the USA’s only success came emphatically in the final match as Alison Lee and Lauren Coughlin beat Charley Hull and Lottie Woad 6&5.
There is little time for Hull and Woad to dwell on it. Nordqvist has sent them straight back out together in the afternoon fourballs, where they will face Yealimi Noh and Andrea Lee in the second match.
It is another significant show of faith from a captain who has repeatedly backed the Hull-Woad combination despite their results so far. They lost both foursomes matches and halved Friday afternoon’s fourball, but Nordqvist made clear after Day One that she regarded them as a strong partnership. Fourballs now gives both players the freedom to play their own ball and an immediate opportunity to change the story of their week.
Across the other side of the draw, Stanford has opted for considerably more change. None of the USA’s four afternoon combinations played fourballs together on Friday, with Noh now joined by Andrea Lee, Megan Khang paired with Lauren Coughlin, Rose Zhang alongside Auston Kim and Jennifer Kupcho going out with Lindy Duncan.
It is a significant reshuffle from a US captain whose team repeatedly demonstrated its resilience on Friday but now finds itself behind for the first time at Bernardus. Korda, Corpuz and Alison Lee – three of the most prominent American performers across the opening sessions – are all rested ahead of Sunday’s singles, while Stanford looks elsewhere for the fourball points she needs to prevent Europe taking a sizeable advantage into the final day.
Stark and Grant make their mark
Europe’s morning began with arguably their most significant victory of the contest so far.
Korda and Corpuz had won their first five Solheim Cup matches together and looked formidable when beating Hull and Woad on Friday. Nordqvist responded by putting her Swedish pairing of Stark and Grant against them, and the Europeans delivered.
Stark and Grant established control on the front nine and, although the Americans threatened to reduce the deficit after the turn, closed out a 3&2 victory.
For Stark, delivering the opening point was “the best feeling ever”, while Grant admitted they knew exactly what they were facing. “We had a tough match going into today,” she said. “We knew that and we knew we had to play very well.”
The result also said something about the growing confidence of the Swedish partnership. Asked what beating such a formidable American combination might mean for Europe, Stark was more interested in maintaining their own level than celebrating the opposition they had beaten. “Just keep feeling like we’re hitting good shots, we’re hitting good putts,” she said.
Nordqvist has immediately given them another opportunity. Stark and Grant lead Europe out again in the afternoon against a new American combination of Khang and Coughlin.
Europe’s rookies keep delivering
Rhodes and Nadaud have taken remarkably little time to look at home in the Solheim Cup.
After winning together in Friday’s fourballs, the two rookies switched successfully to foursomes and beat Andrea Lee and Auston Kim 4&3 on Saturday morning. Two matches, two formats and two victories represents an exceptional start for a pairing Nordqvist initially put together partly on instinct.
This afternoon, however, the captain has separated them. Rhodes gets a rest while Nadaud goes straight back out alongside Maguire against Zhang and Kim.
It is another considerable vote of confidence in the 22-year-old Frenchwoman. Maguire brings all the experience of her fourth Solheim Cup and has now won alongside Henseleit on both mornings, while Nadaud brings the freedom of a rookie who has yet to experience anything other than victory at Bernardus.
Maguire and Henseleit had to work considerably harder for Saturday’s point. Their match with Kupcho and Zhang remained tight deep into the back nine before Europe eventually prevailed 1UP.
Maguire felt patience had been crucial after the Americans fought back early. She identified the 10th, 11th and 12th as key holes and praised what she called a “short game master class” from Henseleit over the closing stretch.
Henseleit also credited the home support with helping Europe turn the momentum on the back nine. “It was a grind,” she admitted, but one the pair were still able to enjoy.
Hull and Woad have the chance to respond
The only European pairing unable to add to the scoreboard was Hull and Woad.
Their rematch in foursomes did not produce the response Nordqvist had hoped for as Lee and Coughlin took control and ran out emphatic 6&5 winners. It leaves Hull and Woad with half a point from their three matches together.
Yet the afternoon draw shows just how strongly Nordqvist continues to believe in them.
There was more encouragement when they played fourballs on Friday, when Woad produced an eagle and the pair led Noh and Angel Yin for much of the match before the Americans fought back to secure a half. Noh will be on the opposite side again this afternoon, this time partnered by Andrea Lee.
For Hull in particular, the format should offer greater freedom to attack. There is no alternate-shot rhythm to negotiate and no need for either player to carry the consequences of the other’s mistakes. After a difficult morning, the opportunity to go straight back onto the course may be exactly what they need.
Stanford changes the formula
If Nordqvist’s afternoon selection contains a strong element of continuity, Stanford has taken the opposite approach.
Every American fourball partnership is new. Khang played with Alison Lee on Friday but now partners Coughlin; Noh swaps Yin for Andrea Lee; Kim moves from Corpuz to Zhang; and Kupcho, who did not play Friday afternoon, comes in alongside Duncan.
There is logic behind the changes. Coughlin arrives in the afternoon having just helped Alison Lee deliver the USA’s emphatic morning point, while Noh showed considerable fight in recovering against Hull and Woad on Friday. Kim has already experienced the European rookie challenge at close quarters, and Duncan returns after sitting out Friday’s fourballs.
More striking is who Stanford has left out. Korda and Corpuz, whose perfect partnership record was finally ended by Stark and Grant this morning, both sit out, as does Alison Lee after contributing strongly across the opening three sessions.
With the USA two points behind and only four matches remaining before the singles, Stanford is asking four completely new partnerships to change the momentum of the contest.
Saturday afternoon fourballs
- 12.05pm BST / 1.05pm local – Maja Stark & Linn Grant (EUR) v Megan Khang & Lauren Coughlin (USA)
- 12.20pm BST / 1.20pm local – Lottie Woad & Charley Hull (EUR) v Yealimi Noh & Andrea Lee (USA)
- 12.35pm BST / 1.35pm local – Leona Maguire & Nastasia Nadaud (EUR) v Rose Zhang & Auston Kim (USA)
- 12.50pm BST / 1.50pm local – Carlota Ciganda & Céline Boutier (EUR) v Jennifer Kupcho & Lindy Duncan (USA)
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